f/5.6

Drink Up For Past, Present And The Future!

December 29, 2015 — 5 Comments

White Horse Tavern

F/5.6, 1/60, ISO 320.

Day 363 / 365

A brain walks into a bar and says, “I’ll have a pint of beer please.”

The barman looks at him and says “Sorry, I can’t serve you.”

“Why not?” askes the brain.

“You’re already out of your head.”

Interesting Fact: Frances Brinley constructed the original building on the site in 1652.[2] In 1673, the lot was sold to William Mayes, and the building was enlarged to become a tavern.[2] The building was also used for large meetings, including use as a Rhode Island General Assembly meeting place, a court house, and a city hall.[2] William Mayes, Sr., obtained a tavern license in 1687 and William Mayes, Jr., a well-known pirate, operated the tavern through the early eighteenth century.[2] The operation was named “The White Horse Tavern” in 1730 by owner Jonathan Nichols.[2] During the American Revolution, Tories and British troops were quartered there around the time of the British occupation and the Battle of Rhode Island.[2] After years of neglect as a boarding house, Newport’s Van Bueren family donated money to the private Preservation Society of Newport to restore the building in 1952.[2] After the restoration, the building was sold and once again operated as a private tavern and restaurant.[2] As of 2015, it still remains a popular drinking and dining location. ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_Horse_Tavern_(Newport,_Rhode_Island)#History )

Duck Duck Duck Duck Duck Duck Goose!

December 28, 2015 — 9 Comments

Duck Duck Goose

F/ 6.3, 1/ 640, ISO 2800.

Green-Winged Teal

Canada Goose

Day 362 / 365

Where did the duck go when he was sick?

To the Ducktor

Interesting Fact: The American and Eurasian forms of the Green-winged Teal were formerly considered different species. The Eurasian teal differ from the American by lacking the vertical white shoulder stripe and having a horizontal white stripe along the back instead. Eurasian teal show up casually each year along both the Pacific and Atlantic coasts. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Green-winged_Teal/lifehistory )

Hello Can You Hear Me

December 26, 2015 — 11 Comments

payphones

F/ 5.6, 1/80, ISO 500.

Day 360 / 365

A young businessman had just started his own firm. He rented a beautiful office and had it furnished with antiques. Sitting there, he saw a man come into the outer office. Wishing to appear the hot shot, the businessman picked up the phone and started to pretend he had a big deal working. He threw huge figures around and made giant commitments. Finally he hung up and asked the visitor, “Can I help you?”
The man said, “Yeah, I’ve come to activate your phone lines.”

Interesting Fact: The first public coin telephone was installed by inventor William Gray at a bank in Hartford, Conn. It was a “postpay” machine (coins were deposited after the call was placed). The first pay phone was invented in 1889 and by 1902, there were over 81,000 pay telephones in the United States. In 1889, the first public coin telephone was installed by inventor William Gray at a bank in Hartford, Conn. It was a “postpay” machine (coins were deposited after the call was placed). Gray’s previous claim to fame was inventingLorem ipsum the inflatable chest protector for baseball. In 1960, the Bell System installed its millionth pay telephone. ( http://pomo.cca.edu/~achou/payphone_code/transition/firstpayphone.html )

Going to Christmas Eve Party!

December 24, 2015 — 23 Comments

christmas eve

F/ 7.1, 1/200, ISO 640, Photoshop CS6.

Northern Shoveler Ducks

Day 358 / 365

Twenty ways to confuse Santa Claus

1. Instead of milk and cookies, leave him a salad, and a note explaining that you think he could stand to lose a few pounds.

2. While he’s in the house, go find his sleigh and write him a speeding ticket.

3. Leave him a note, explaining that you’ve gone away for the holidays. Ask if he would mind watering your plants.

4. While he’s in the house, replace all his reindeer with exact replicas. Then wait and see what happens when he tries to get them to fly.

5. Keep an angry bull in your living room. If you think a bull goes crazy when he sees a little red cape, wait until he sees that big, red Santa suit!

6. Build an army of mean-looking snowmen on the roof, holding signs that say “We hate Christmas,” and “Go away Santa.”

7. Leave a note by the telephone, telling Santa that Mrs. Claus called and wanted to remind him to pick up some milk and a loaf of bread on his way home.

8. Throw a surprise party for Santa when he comes down the chimney. Refuse to let him leave until the strippers arrive.

9. While he’s in the house, find the sleigh and sit in it. As soon as he comes back and sees you, tell him that he shouldn’t have missed that last payment, and take off.

10. Leave a plate filled with cookies and a glass of milk out, with a note that says, “For The Tooth Fairy. :)” Leave another plate out with half a stale cookie and a few drops of skim milk in a dirty glass with a note that says, “For Santa. :(”

11. Take everything out of your house as if it’s just been robbed. When Santa arrives, show up dressed like a policeman and say, “Well, well. They always return to the scene of the crime.”

12. Leave out a copy of your Christmas list with last-minute changes and corrections.

13. While he’s in the house, cover the top of the chimney with barbed wire.

14. Leave lots of hunting trophies and guns out where Santa’s sure to see them. Go outside, yell, “Ooh! Look! A deer! And he’s got a red nose!” and fire a gun.

15. Leave Santa a note, explaining that you’ve moved. Include a map with unclear and hard-to-read directions to your new house.

16. Set a bear trap at the bottom of the chimney. Wait for Santa to get caught in it, and then explain that you’re sorry, but from a distance, he looked like a bear.

17. Leave out a Santa suit, with an attached dry-cleaning bill.

18. Paint “hoof-prints” all over your face and clothes. While he’s in the house, go out on the roof. When he comes back up, act like you’ve been “trampled.” Threaten to sue for personal injury.

19. Instead of ornaments, decorate your tree with Easter eggs.

20. Dress up like the Easter Bunny. Wait for Santa to come and then say, “This neighborhood ain’t big enough for the both of us.

Interesting Fact: Christmas Eve refers to the evening or entire day preceding Christmas Day, a widely celebrated festival commemorating the birth of Jesus of Nazareth.[4] Christmas Day is observed around the world, and Christmas Eve is widely observed as a full or partial holiday in anticipation of Christmas Day. Together, both days are considered one of the most culturally significant celebrations in Christendom and Western society. ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas_Eve#Historical_events )

All Night Long (All Night)

December 10, 2015 — 6 Comments

christmas lights

F/5.6 , 0.3, ISO 250.

Day 344 / 365

What do you call a kid who doesn’t believe in Santa?

A rebel without a Claus.

Interesting Fact: The Christmas tree was adopted in upper-class homes in 18th-century Germany, where it was occasionally decorated with candles, which at the time was a comparatively expensive light source. Candles for the tree were glued with melted wax to a tree branch or attached by pins. Around 1890, candleholders were first used for Christmas candles. Between 1902 and 1914, small lanterns and glass balls to hold the candles started to be used. Early electric Christmas lights were introduced with electrification, beginning in the 1880s. ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas_lights#History )

I’m Not A Player. I Just Crash A Lot.

December 9, 2015 — 14 Comments

Nutcracker

F/ 5.6, 1/60, ISO 250.

Day 343 / 365

What ballet do squirrels like?

The Nutcracker.

Interesting Fact: Manufacturers produce modern nutcrackers—designed to crack nuts—usually somewhat resembling pliers, but with the pivot point at the end beyond the nut, rather than in the middle. The spring-jointed nutcracker was patented by Henry Quackenbush in 1913. These are also used for cracking the shells of crab and lobster to make the meat inside available for eating. Nuts have long been a popular choice for desserts, particularly throughout Europe. The nutcrackers were placed on dining tables to serve as a fun and entertaining center of conversation while diners awaited their final course. At one time, nutcrackers were actually made of metals such as brass, and it wasn’t until maller birds crack seeds. In this case, the pivot point stands opposite the nut, at the jaw. Nutcrackers have also been used as a token of good luck and goodwill to protect people from evil spirits and danger. They were thought to bare their teeth at any evil spirits to scare them away, just like a guard dog might do. ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nutcracker )

Just Because Something Isn’t Happening For You Right Now, Doesn’t Mean That It Will Never Happen

December 4, 2015 — 10 Comments

bikes frames

F/5.6, 1/60, ISO 320.

Day 338 / 365

Do you know what is the hardest part of learning to ride a bike?

The pavement.

Interesting Fact: There are several early but unverified claims for the invention of bicycle-like machines. The earliest comes from a sketch said to be from 1493 and attributed to Gian Giacomo Caprotti, a pupil of Leonardo da Vinci. In 1998 Hans-Erhard Lessing described this as a purposeful fraud.[1][2] However, the authenticity of the bicycle sketch is still vigorously maintained by followers of Prof. Augusto Marinoni, a lexicographer and philologist, who was entrusted by the Commissione Vinciana of Rome with the transcription of da Vinci’s Codex Atlanticus. ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_bicycle )

Roses Are Red Violets Are Blue I Will Post This And You Will Read It Too

December 3, 2015 — 8 Comments

rose petals

F/ 5.6, 1/60, ISO 400.

Day 337 / 365

Why couldn’t the flower ride its bike?

It lost its petals.

Interesting Fact: The rose hip, usually from R. canina, is used as a minor source of Vitamin C. The fruits of many species have significant levels of vitamins and have been used as a food supplement. Many roses have been used in herbal and folk medicines. Rosa chinensis has long been used in Chinese traditional medicine. This and other species have been used for stomach problems, and are being investigated for controlling cancer growth. ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rose#Medicine )

A Cookie A Day Keeps The Sadness Away

December 2, 2015 — 31 Comments

hot chocolate and cookies

F/5.6, 3.0, ISO 64.

Day 336 / 365

When should you take a cookie to the doctor?

When it feels crummy.

Interesting Fact:

An early Classic period (460-480 AD) Mayan tomb from the site of Rio Azul, Guatemala, had vessels with the Maya glyph for cacao on them with residue of a chocolate drink.  To make the chocolate drink, which was served cold, the Maya ground cocoa seeds into a paste and mixed it with water, cornmeal, chili peppers, and other ingredients.[4] They then poured the drink back and forth from a cup to a pot until a thick foam developed. Chocolate was available to Maya of all social classes, although the wealthy drank chocolate from elaborately decorated vessels. ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hot_chocolate )

 

Money Does Not Grow On Trees?!

December 1, 2015 — 24 Comments

money tree

F/ 5.6, 1/60, ISO 250.

Day 335 / 365

Why doesn’t money grow on trees?

Because the banks control all of the branches

Interesting Fact: A money tree plant is a special type of bonsai tree. The design originated in Taiwan in the 1980s, and it was quickly picked up by many other Asian nations. Areas with large Asian populations frequently have these plants for sale, because they are supposed to bring good luck and fortune. It is particularly associated with China, and the plant is often given out at Chinese New Year complete with red banners and other lucky decorations. ( http://www.wisegeek.org/what-is-a-money-tree-plant.htm )